Press Releases

First Choice by Select Health of South Carolina Rated the Top Medicaid Plan in South Carolina

October 4, 2018 | North Charleston, S.C.

Select Health of South Carolina’s First Choice Medicaid Plan is the top-rated Medicaid health plan in the state, with a 4.0 out of 5 rating in the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)’s Medicaid Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2018 – 2019. It is the ninth consecutive year that Select Health has been South Carolina’s top Medicaid health plan.* Select Health is the state’s first and largest Medicaid managed care organization and a member of the AmeriHealth Caritas Family of Companies.

“Earning the top rating once again demonstrates the consistently high quality of care and services we bring to our state,” said Select Health Market President Courtnay Thompson. “This accomplishment shows the value of our integrated and holistic approach to care, the dedication of our approximately 600 associates and more than 15,000 network providers, and the great partnerships we have formed with the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and other organizations that share our mission to help people get care, stay well and build healthier communities across South Carolina.”

First Choice earned its 4.0 out of 5 rating based on results from the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®), a tool that measures performance on important dimensions of care and service, and the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, which measures member satisfaction with their overall health care experience.

“Both our overall and Consumer Satisfaction scores went up .5 from last year,” said Nate Patterson, DrPH director of quality management at Select Health. “We achieved gains in 68 out of 89 scored HEDIS measures with the following measures scoring at or above the 90th percentile: prenatal/postpartum, cervical cancer screening (for the first time), diabetes testing, newborn and adolescent well visits and body mass index (BMI).This is yet another example of how we work collaboratively with providers and other key stakeholders to improve health outcomes and overall quality of life for our members.”

NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and recognizes clinicians in key clinical areas. NCQA's HEDIS is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA's website contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.

Select Health of South Carolina, part of the AmeriHealth Caritas Family of Companies, contracts with the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) to offer First Choice, the state’s oldest and largest Medicaid managed care health plan, in all 46 counties statewide. Select Health’s First Choice health plan is the top-rated Medicaid health plan in South Carolina, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) Medicaid Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2015 – 2016, 2016 – 2017, 2017 – 2018 and 2018 – 2019. First Choice was the top-ranked Medicaid health plan in South Carolina per NCQA from 2010 – 2011 to 2014 – 2015. First Choice is the first health plan in South Carolina to earn NCQA’s Multicultural Health Care Distinction, an honor it has achieved four times since 2011.

AmeriHealth Caritas is part of the Independence Health Group in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. AmeriHealth Caritas is one of the nation’s leaders in health care solutions for those most in need. Operating in 15 states and the District of Columbia, AmeriHealth Caritas serves approximately 5.3 million Medicaid, Medicare and Children’s Healthy Insurance Program (CHIP) members through its integrated managed care products, pharmaceutical benefit management and specialty pharmacy services, behavioral health services, and other administrative services. Headquartered in Philadelphia, AmeriHealth Caritas is a mission-driven organization with more than 35 years of experience serving low-income and chronically ill populations.